Suchergebnisse

Shaping a pathway for global development in light of climate change and oil depletion need not imply radical disruption or widespread social harm.

This article addresses forestry projects attempting to register with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Advocates argue that forestry projects have significant potential for sequestering carbon, contributing to livelihood improvements, and promoting sustainable development in developing countries—especially African countries with predominately agrarian economies and relatively high GHG emissions from land-use change. Through a comparison of two carbon-forestry projects in central Tanzania, we investigated both the livelihood effects of these projects and the risk and benefit perceptions of project administrators and the government. Both projects have been unable to gain national government approval, and we find evidence of mixed benefits for local communities. Village communities participating in one program consistently identified environmental and social benefits of planting trees locally and judged them as more important than carbon payments. A key variable is ownership, as villagers that have forfeited their land to a plantation have little stake in the program, whereas villagers participating in a community-based program own their trees. Our results suggest that enhancing ties to local ownership can contribute to sustainable development while better enhancing the potential of the carbon market to work for the rural poor in developing countries.

After substantial global investments into biofuel production from 2005 to 2008, challenges to a sustainable and robust biofuel industry have become more apparent than many proponents have anticipated. Across country and development contexts, conflicts arose as plans to scale up production clashed with local preferences or national policies, and Southern Africa has been no exception. This article analyzes recent difficulties with biofuels projects in Tanzania before the background of the more successful experiences of Brazil and South Africa. We identify areas of incompatibility between local expectations, government policy, and investor incentives. An assessment of different biofuels business models shows that some—such as contract farming—may not be appropriate for Tanzania's situation and that policies are necessary that can address the needs of both local and regional stakeholders and provide adequate incentives for investors to pursue sustainable biofuels production.